Poor Hindus targeted for religious conversion through inducements and denigrating Hinduism by Christian missionaries
Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India 
19 June, 2025
Case Summary
In the Saraswati Nagar area of Raipur, Chhattisgarh, poor Hindus were being lured to for religious conversion through inducements and denigrating Hinduism by Christian missionaries. The incident came to light when Bajrang Dal activists received information about 150–200 poor Hindus being targeted for conversion by Christian evangelists through inducements in front of the house of an individual named Mahendra Mahanand. Acting promptly, Bajrang Dal members arrived at the location and interrupted the conversion activity. Members of the Hindu organisation reported that Christian evangelists were not only offering inducements but were also insulting Hindu deities and declaring that God does not exist, in an effort to influence the poor Hindus. They also stated that extensive conversion activities are going on Raipur district, with evangelists specifically focusing on poor and marginalised Hindus. The organisation also pointed out a change in the pattern of these religious meetings, noting that earlier these meetings used to happen on Sundays, but due to increase were typically held on Sundays, but since police have started cracking down on these illegal conversions, evangelists have started holding these sermons on random days of the week, to avoid detection. The police subsequently arrested four individuals, namely, Pastor Amit Singh, Keshav Mahanand, Durgesh Mahanand, and Mahendra Mahanand. As of the date of writing this report, the investigation was ongoing.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category of: - Predatory Proselytisation. Within it, the first sub-category selected is: - Conversion/ attempts to convert by inducement. Predatory Proselytisation is not just limited to threat, harassment, force and violence, but it also has contours of stealth. In several cases, the Hindu victim is exploited to convert, with non-Hindus taking advantage of their poverty. In such cases, the Hindu victim who is suffering financially is offered monetary benefits, including lucrative offers for jobs, health treatment, education, etc, to induce the victim into changing his/her religion. In such cases, the religious identity of the victim and the aim to disenfranchise him from his faith form the heart of the crime. Also, taking advantage of and exploiting an individual’s economic vulnerabilities is widely acknowledged as exploitation, forms of which are often penalised by law. Such cases therefore are considered religiously motivated hate crimes since the victim’s religious identity forms the very heart of the crime itself. The second sub-category selected here is: - Attempting to convert/converting by denigrating Hinduism. In several cases, Hindus are converted or an attempt is made to convert Hindus by denigrating their faith, Hinduism. In such cases, the Hindus associate with the non-Hindu perpetrators often by choice and then, the attempt to convert them by insulting their faith, showing the faith down etc begins. An example of this would be a non-Hindu gathering where the Hindus are attending the gathering of their own free will. However, once they attend the gathering, there is an explicit attempt to convert them by abusing their faith and hailing the faith of the perpetrator. The denigration of the Hindu faith is often based on misrepresentation of the Hindu faith, its doctrine and scriptures and insult to espoused traditions if not blatant lies about Hindu beliefs and ways. Such conversions or attempts at conversions are driven by animosity towards the Hindu faith and are therefore documented as religiously motivated hate crimes. This case has been added to the tracker because poor Hindus were targeted for religious conversion through inducement and denigrating Hinduism by Christian missionaries. This conversion was not the result of a genuine change of heart or change in belief, but a direct outcome of exploiting the victims’ economic vulnerability. Offering incentives to encourage conversion, particularly when directed at individuals who are vulnerable or in need, shows that these incentives are not acts of kindness or charity. Instead, they are calculated moves to exploit vulnerable Hindus because of their religion. By providing inducements to Hindus to change their faith, the accused were effectively blackmailing those who might have been desperate for assistance. Such instances are seen in many cases where members of Christian missionary groups target socially and economically vulnerable Hindus to further their agenda of religious conversions. This form of coercion strips people of their agency and dignity and enforces forced conversions. Furthermore, the perpetrators specifically targeted poor Hindus and attempted to brainwash them by saying that God doesn't exist; an approach designed to generate a sense of shame and confusion among Hindu victims. Such ideological attacks are meant to destabilise a person’s confidence in their own religion and erode their spiritual foundation from within. These methods fall squarely within the framework of predatory proselytisation: calculated, persistent, and rooted in religious animosity. Additionally, members of the Hindu organisation also stated that extensive conversion activities were going on in the Raipur district. Christian missionaries' networks often operate under the guise of charity and social service, while the ultimate goal often remains religious conversion. The structured nature of these operations, occurring across multiple locations and on irregular days to avoid detection, proves the premeditated and covert nature of the proselytisation effort. These are not random or isolated incidents but are part of a broader, systematic pattern rooted in religious hostility towards the Hindu faith. The Christian faith, by its very theological foundations, places a strong emphasis on proselytisation. In pursuit of conversion objectives, Christian evangelists often employ unethical means, ranging from psychological pressure and misinformation to inducements such as money or jobs. These tactics are designed not as acts of charity but as tools to engineer religious change under the guise of social upliftment, particularly among vulnerable and underprivileged communities. This is not an isolated incident but part of a structured and ideologically driven campaign that targets Hindus across various regions, especially in impoverished and tribal belts. The sustained use of inducement, deception, manipulation and denigration of Hinduism to achieve religious conversions illustrates a deeply rooted hostility toward the Hindu faith and community, making this a clear instance of a religiously motivated hate crime
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Christian Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 2 To 5
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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